A Churchillian Delight (Tea & Cigars)

[mncz]

Save any association of war-time or oratorical prowess for the more conventional essays of your history books!

I'm talking about pairing cigars to fine beverages...

I'm talking about stimulating the organoleptic faculties in ways not previously explored.

Yeah, I'm talking about that translucent, sunset-colored liquor as the stage upon which your cigar smoke performs – champions – a timeless ballet of taste. Applause. Repeat.

I'm not talking about rum or (Scotch) whisk(e)ys, folks.

I'm talking about Sir Winston Churchill and his love for tea, baby.

It's a common interest that he and I share, and though he likely died with a devotion to this affinity for taste, I'm just starting to come into it. The three+ feet of snow surrounding my entire outdoor field of vision has led me to seek enjoyment from the comfortable warmth of my study. This year, I've fallen in love with camellia sinensis.

image below taken from another news article entitled:
"One very cool customer: Churchill, puffing on cigar and wearing dashing aviator glasses while being tailed by the Luftwaffe during ‘most daring flight of the whole war" (and very likely, I'd wager, drinking tea in the midst of it)

http://theteastylist.com/2012/01/23/pillars-of-smoke-churchill-cigars-and-lapsang-souchong-tea/

Above is a marvelous, short introductory read about anyone who wishes to know a bit about the tea I've been drinking lately and why it was Churchill's choice tea liquor for accompanying his cigars with. It's called Lapsang Souchong – or Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong – and it's what most of us would call a black tea smoked in indigenous pine wood/needles. I will post a personal review of a pairing as soon as I figure out an optimal one. I'm short of cigars out here in Vermont at the moment so I have to be very particular, as I only brought my 50-count humidor with mostly the type of stock that I don't want to touch yet (sentimental, nostalgic value, etc).

(links to the article from which this image is borrowed)

Almost every day, I've been having organic lapsang souchong leaves with a self-mixed chai spice, a spot of hemp milk, and occasionally some local honey. Phew! But with a cigar, unadulterated tea liquor is a must. Though I don't have a yixing clay pot or a gaiwan, I have been experimenting with brewing in the gong fu cha style simply by way of water-to-leaf ratio and short steep times for multiple infusions.

For the skeptics, here's a short and persuasive read entitled "Why Tea and Cigars?" (Google it for original article, I believe it appears on a cigar vendor site):

Choosing a drink to pair with a cigar is a truly enjoyable task. Wine, scotch, beer and coffee have historically been the accepted beverages of choice to compliment a cigar. I thoroughly enjoy all these potables, but reserve a special place in my heart for tea. It seems only natural that the two should be married, if for no other reason than for their similar physical composition. Many cigar lovers refer to themselves as Brothers of the Leaf when articulating their relationship to others who share their passion. The tea leaf is cultivated and cured in a similar fashion to the tobacco leaf and thus produces a flavor profile that complements a good cigar like no other drink. The shear diversity of tea varietals, country of origins, flavors and aroma will challenge and entice seasoned cigar smokers to pair their most cherished sticks with a steaming cup or iced glass of tea. For the price of a bottle of Makers Mark, you could sample a dozen IndulgeTeas and enjoy nearly 200 delicious cups.

I know, I know, you're "not much of a tea drinker", right? Most negative opinions towards tea stem from only being exposed to overpriced, bitter tasting, over produced grocery store junk that's advertised as tea. Those fancy boxes are filled with nothing but cheap, flavorless leaves that are ground into a powder called fannings and hidden from view inside a teabag. Fannings may brew quickly, but their flavor complexity, aroma and color are severely diminished. Artificial flavorings are often added to spice up or mask these bland, inferior teas.

Still not convinced? Imagine for a moment how many times you've tried to explain to someone how White Owls are nothing like premium, handmade cigars. Lipton's and Celestial Seasonings are the tea equivalent to Dutch Masters and are chiefly responsible for the sour attitude many people have towards tea. If Swisher Sweets were the only brand your local tobacco shop sold, you probably wouldn’t be “much of a cigar smoker”. Aside from a good cigar, there are few things in life as simple and enjoyable as a properly brewed cup of whole leaf tea.

I've decided to post this topic here in protest to the fact that both the "Wine Beer Spirits" and "Food" forums do not seem to have a place for tea discussions. Here are a few links to other cigar and tea pairing discussions:

http://walkerteareview.com/conversation-on-lapsang-souchong/

(here's a site to get lost in tea ratings and discussions for days – this is a piece on lapsang)

http://www.friendsofhabanos.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=113405

http://www.teachat.com/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=17109
(tea connoisseur board – topic discussing pairings)

http://www.flavorandfortune.com/dataaccess/article.php?ID=617

(a lapsang article for the foodie epicureans – this site's "Dedicated to the Art and Science of Chinese Cuisine")

http://verdanttea.com/teas/lapsang-souchong/

(where I bought my favorite lapsang souchong leaves)

There was a previous thread that suggested some online tea vendors. Some of these are better than others. Camellia-sinensis.com is fantastic for Canada and US, for sure. Lately, I've fallen in love with verdanttea.com but there are so, so many high quality vendors.

Lastly, anyone still actively pairing their sticks with high quality teas? I'd love to hear about them. To keep my head clear for studying, I haven't been much for alcohol lately and I've found a new, massively complex delicacy (and indeed, art form) to learn about and appreciate in time. Tea is so healthy. Since giving up the coffee and drinking multiple cups per day, I've felt absolutely amazing. There's good research out there and with any interest, I'll take the time to post some additional legitimate sources on the health benefits of tea, but here's an excellent PDF outlining all of the main points.

[Colt45]

I'm not a great fan of the pairing as I find the tannic nature of tea (including green and white) clashes with the tannic nature of cigars (perhaps even more so as the tea begins to cool). For the same reason, while smoking, I don't really drink anything tannic, astringent, or overly acidic (red wine, gin, tequila, hoppy beer, etc).

But I do like tea.

[Edwhatever]

I have had some stellar liquor and cigar pairings.

But on a regular basis, tea would be my choice.

However all in all, drink what you like, like what you drink.

[PapaDisco]

I'm not terribly sophisticated or broadly educated when it comes to teas I'm afraid. I've stumbled upon a couple of pairings and a general rule though. The fermented teas, particularly Pu Erh (a black tea) seem to have less of the overbearing tannic/astringent qualities that Colt45 alludes to. Pu Erh (leaf or bag) can be left in the cup practically without limit, without the tea going bitter. Because of these qualities I find it to go very well my Punch Punch and Sir Winstons (happy coincidence!).

In the green teas, the Governer's Green Tea that they sell at the Metropole in Hanoi also does well, but one has to steep it lightly to avoid the overpowering problems mentioned above; and that brings up the 'general rule' that (IMHO only!), teas actually do better with cigars if the tea has been steeped lightly rather than one going for a strong brew. Intuitively, we thing 'cigar + tea' and that we're going to have to really muscle up that tea for it to keep up, but then you loose the lighter nuances of the tea as well as its service as a palate cleanser.

Wish I had the time to explore the universe of teas more broadly, but usually by the time I get to the bar it's evening and therefore cocktail hour!

[DWC]

+1 for Pu Erh for the same reasons mentioed

[TiminBC]

I have always drank tea and coffee but the past 3 years I have expanded my tea drinking to Oolong's, white tea, grees tea and herbals.

I used to do tea and cigars but mostly just water or coffee.

[TypicalSituation]

Huge fan of lapsang souchong! Glad to see others appreciate it as well. The problem for me is finding a solid leaf. Most of the shops around be either don't stock it or the quality is so low I won't dignify them by buying it.

[madandana]

Tea........? Then he's drinking it out of a whiskey glass:)

[merc]

I'm a huge tea drinker, and pair tea with cigars quite a lot. I know a lot about tea, but not so much about cigars, so it's very much still a learning/experimentation process.

[cigcars]

H-E-E-E-Y-Y-Y-Y!!! People after my own heart! This is just what I have with my cigars...a fine iced honey sweetened herb tea beverage. I stringently DO NOT drink black tea, Earl Grey tea, etc. The FIRST time I drank Earl Grey, my teeth broke and cracked in several places. Had to get a crown and other such undesirable actions. Hope I don't offend anyone here, but I recall thinking, "So that's why British people's teeth are in the condition they are!"

[Rye]

There have been a couple good tea threads here in the past years, and I very much enjoy reading through them all.

This one was great!

I usually opt for a malt with my cigars as they work better as a calming nightcap, but very often enjoy tea, and keep an entire cupboard dedicated to several types.

I am fortunate to have a great tea shop with hundreds of whole leaf teas to choose from and I can spend as long in there as I can in my humidor

[spicycorona]

I usually have loose leaf tea on hand. Right now I have darjeeling de triomphe. It's a black tea, but very light. It's referred to as the champagne of teas. But I wouldn't pair it with even the lightest of cigars. I usually have golden monkey or black dragon pearl with small cigars. Don't remember which ones but a SCDLH El Principe, Cohiba Siglo !, or Punch Petit Coronation would be a great pairing with either.

[Troels]

+1 on lapsang souchong, pu erh - mojito tea and other green teas pairs well with most cigars as well

The lapsang souchong can be a little much and at times i've bought a mix of this and other, milder? Black teas

[Borgy]

I like Modura tea at lunch I will have to find a cigar to go with it.I will be honest I only normaly have a smoke with a Coffee, wine or bourbon but why not try a tea I'm still learning I guess you never stop.

[ksblazer]

Great post mncz

After reading this thread it made me do a search for tea house's around the region. Come to find out there is one with some really good reviews and it's in town. Hope to go down there this weekend and sample some tea's. Purchase a few different styles and enjoy tea in a cigar at my local lounge.

[wabashcr]

Since I've given up alcohol and coffee, I've been drinking a lot of tea the last 3 years or so. Mainly only black teas, just standard Earl Grey, English Breakfast, etc. I enjoy it, and could see myself getting into it a little more. I try to stay away from caffeine, though, which may hamper any progress.

[maxcjs0101]

Isn't caffeine a natural chemical found in tea?

[wabashcr]

Yes it is. I can find a lot of decaffeinated teas here, and they work for me, but nothing too interesting.

[mncz]

Wabashcr, it can be hard to find quality loose leaf that's low in caffeine. Even white tea is not necessarily low in caffeine content. After all, tea all comes from the same plant! You might do well with some lovely herbal blends, though, and if you can tolerate a bit of caffeine but not a whole lot – a blend with just a bit of tea plus other herbs might be a perfect compliment to your lifestyle.

http://verdanttea.com/shop/blends/

Check out the bottom of this page. There are a lot of very tasty-looking herbal and non-tea blends. You are not necessarily limited in fun and flavor in a choice to remain caffeine-free! This site is just one example of a vendor that carries interesting herbals. Cheers!